Stripped Bare
by effinsusie
Summary: 500 years later, Sesshoumaru is the only demon left. While in America on a business trip, he discovers Kagome is working at a strip club. He wants to know why, and they end up learning more about each other than either of them ever imagined.


Every day this week, he had walked down to the business, fully intending to enter.

And every day, as he approached the door that would grant him access, he would walk right passed it.

The bouncer probably thought he was shy. It was an enraging and ridiculous thought.

Imagine Sesshoumaru, The Lord of the Western Lands, being bashful about entering a strip club.

Of course he'd been to one before. More than one, in fact. In his line of business, it came with the territory. Wealthy clients became loose with their lips and their wallets when supplied with a sufficient amount of booze and pretty women. It wasn't his cup of tea, but it was certainly nothing he felt trepidation over.

But this club was different.

It had been 500 years since he had known that scent. But the second his jet touched down in America, there was no mistaking it.

_The miko._

He knew she was from the future. And when Naraku had been defeated, they were all fairly certain that this was where she had been returned to. Well, this time, anyway.

He thought he'd noticed faint hints of her power in Japan. Out of curiosity, he'd gone to inspect the well, and out of nostalgia, he's visited the tree that his brother was now buried under.

Did she know? Did she know that the very tree at her family's shrine was now the eternal resting place of her best friend from the past? The boy she'd claimed to love?

Impossible.

How would she? After all, only one demon remained from the Warring States Era. And he had not set foot on her property since before she started making the jumps to the past.

He had come to the United States on business. That was what he was doing in Oregon.

And once aware of her presence, he had set out to discover what had the Shikon Miko finding herself in the west coast of America. School perhaps? She had always been quite studious.

But when he followed his nose to her unmistakable aura, he was more than a little shocked at where it led him.

He wasn't sure he could stomach it. But he would go in today.

The Western Lord shied away from no human, even if she wore ridiculous see through pumps.

"Alright! You made it!" the bouncer greeted, opening the door.

"I was beginning to wonder if you would ever get the nerve." His condescending grin was just begging to meet the force of his fist. "Don't worry my friend, they won't bite you."

The glare he shot him had the man stepping back a foot. But rather than chance making a scene, Sesshoumaru simply entered the club.

A murder would set him back another day at least.

* * *

He sat in the middle row. Close enough for an unobstructed view, but not so close as to imply he might want any attention. Not to mention, if you sat up front, you were expected to tip. The ten dollars he spent on a watered-down whiskey was as generous as he was willing to be at the moment.

Girls would occasionally approach him, and make sure he was all set on dances for the time being.

He was, he assured them, and simply waited for the one he had come to see to finally make her appearance. He didn't know what her stage name was, so there was no point in asking for her.

And descriptions would do him no good either. He supposed it wouldn't be too difficult to ask for a Japanese girl, but he didn't want any undue attention.

Should there be more than one, he would be pestered all night. And if the miko spotted him first, it was possible she would flee.

So he waited.

He could sense her, back stage. She must be getting ready to perform. Otherwise, she would be out on the floor with the other girls trying to sell private dances.

After turning away yet another stripper, the deejay finally made his announcement.

In an introduction rife with innuendo and no small measure of racism, he called her up. Before she even took the stage, Sesshoumaru smirked.

'_Kamiko..._ Amusing.'

A Japanese hip hop song he had never heard before blared over the system, and his eyes were glued to the stage as he awaited her grand entrance with great interest. Finally, this was it.

She came out at last in the clear pumps he had predicted. And lingerie to match.

She sashayed fluidly, and confidently as she made her way to the pole in the center of the upraised platform. A sexy, inviting look accented by painted, pouty lips and half-lidded eyes of mesmerizing blue.

She twirled and bounced, running her hands slowly and surely along the front of her own taut, young physique, in a path which more than one man in attendance surely wanted to travel himself.

Her meager coverings barely contained her assets, and what little they 'concealed' were completely visible as it was. She didn't have to take anything off to give an unobstructed view of her fit, tempting body.

But she would.

After a few admittedly impressive moves up and down the brass pole, which displayed the capabilities of the long legs she'd always bared so shamelessly, she reached behind herself- somehow gracefully-and unclasped her bra.

Working it slowly down her arms, she finally tossed it aside, and moved off the pole to begin a series of artful acrobatics.

Oh, he was watching. Like the other men in the establishment, his eyes were set on her heaving, curvaceous form. But unlike every man in the room, he was not there simply to leer.

This was more like... homework. An assignment. A mission.

Though there for personal reasons, he needed to see for himself what the time traveling miko from his past had been doing in her years since returning to the future for good.

And once his studying session was complete, he would finally approach her, and begin his interrogation which was 500 years in the making.

But Sesshoumaru did not leer. It was nothing he hadn't seen before.

Well, he definitely hadn't seen _this_ particular woman's bare tits, or shaved pussy, or every other dip and curve of her soft, currently jiggling body.

Was this what she had been hiding, under that strange clothing which drew so much attention her way back then? He had thought that her garments had done a poor job leaving anything to the imagination back in the feudal era. But he had to admit, he had never imagined that the woman looked _anything_ like what he was seeing.

Her true form...

The way she arched shoved the tight peaks of her breasts heavenward. Her hips rolled perfectly in tune with the music in what he was certain had been a long-practiced method of perfected enticement. And after displaying for the crowd, she stood on her hands and began wrapping her legs around the pole masterfully while still upside down.

And thanks to the effects of gravity, he off-handedly noted that unlike many of the women in this club, her large, billowing breasts were indeed natural.

Men watched intently. Either placing their bills on the stage, or holding them out for hopes of a little personal attention.

But while the eyes of every man in the room were intently upon her feminine offerings, Sesshoumaru's were drawn to the markings on her hips.

On one side, was the one of legend. One of which he'd heard in tales from his brother, and those within the hanyou's pack. Though he had never seen it personally, the stories had been affirmed by human and demon alike along his many travels.

A miko, born with the Shikon inside her, had it ripped out by an ambitious and greedy centipede.

That demon would drag said miko back to his time, and instigate the beginnings of a war between man and monster which would alter the fates of every living being in existence- him included.

The rest was history. Everyone knew how that little encounter had reached its inevitable conclusion. With an unlikely band of warriors, the Western Lord included, who sought out and ultimately defeated an evil hanyou spider determined to destroy them all.

Her marred skin there was proof of the tale's accuracy.

On the other hip, however, was a marking of which he had never been informed.

Ink. A replica, as far as he could gather. Of the very jewel that had borne the chaotic events which set to alter the lives of everyone the great demon had ever known. Ever would know, even if they weren't aware of its influence.

He knew of tattoos. For a time, he had even been able to pass his own birth markings as such to clueless humans, before he had relented and sunk to covering himself in the hopes of a less conspicuous existence.

Why she would immortalize the item of power which tore her life asunder was a mystery to the Killing Perfection. But his mind was allowed little time to ponder at it.

She laid on her back, and made a show of removing her only remaining clothing. Lifting her ass off of the floor as she thrusted up into the air in rolling, suggestive movements, she slowly slid her transparent panties off her marked hips. She lifted her long, shapely legs; stretching them upward and bending them to slip her garment down to discard it fully, before flinging it too aside and resuming her attentions on her own breasts; hips still in motion.

He didn't move an inch as she ran her fingers through her hair. From head to toe, his disciplined form obeyed his strong will, long practiced and perfected to display no affect or reaction to whatever was going on around him.

His mind was even blank. Forcefully so. For he knew what occurred in places like this. He came in fully aware of what to expect to see.

And the shock of witnessing the woman who'd stood by him in defeating Naraku- a woman whose awesome purity had once fought to contain itself inside her tiny frame- bucking and writhing in a wanton display for the benefit of any strange man who happened in off the street, was something he'd been preparing himself for since the moment he'd discovered this place.

She rolled on her stomach and over to the nearest man, and took the 5-dollar bill that he held out for her with a grateful smile, before getting on her hands and knees and making her way down the line of bills, occasionally touching a man's arm or face with her ample tits.

The front row was at the platform's edge. And customers were welcomed to lean forward with their cash, and await the approach of the woman on the stage.

Each tip received a moment of her personal attention in return. The amount offered dictating how long she would linger with him, before making her way to collect from the next.

She was advertising. This was her call to the men in the crowd to entice them into buying a dance or three from her after her set.

Sometimes a word or two would be exchanged. Playful bantering, complimentary appreciations. Crude remarks were not discouraged, but accepted with good humor.

She was so wrapped up in her performance, that she didn't notice the man from the middle row making his way to the front. He took an empty seat at the end on the line, and pulled out the smallest bill from his money clip- a $20.

Gripping it between two long fingers, he held it out just at the stage's edge. Enough to be noticed, yet far enough that she would have to close some distance to retrieve it.

He hid the shock he felt at watching the woman he knew from the past crawl to him enticingly; somehow swaying sexily on hands and knees as she moved toward him slowly.

Her completely nude body was bared for his perusal. And though he made no attempts to ignore it, he was doing his best not to be distracted by it.

He had come here for a reason, and it was not to ogle his late brother's miko.

Still, it was rather impossible to avoid her supple curves completely.

The mischievous look in her eyes was filled with promise, and salacious suggestion.

And when she finally stopped only inches before him, she sat on her knees, leaning herself forward to place her breasts very near his face.

Awaiting recognition, he would not receive it. And when he attempted to retreat slightly, she grabbed the back of his head and bent forward, touching her tits softly to his unprepared face. The act was somehow akin to a gentle caress, as she lightly teased his features with her soft, heaving mounds.

He had to restrain himself from instinctively sampling her with his mouth.

Shocked still, he allowed it only a moment before extracting himself from her hold.

She was smiling when she pulled back, and moved to take the $20 from her generous new customer.

She didn't recognize him at first, that much was clear. With his short black hair, and his lack of defining markings, he supposed she could not be faulted. So in that moment, he allowed his façade to break only slightly.

Violet eyes transformed to gold ones for several long, heart pounding seconds. It wasn't until she had her hand on his cash that her brain smartly supplied her with a name from her past. Way past.

It would hit her like a bolt of lightning.

'_Sesshoumaru!'_

She gasped, and fell backward. But both their grips on the $20 kept her from toppling over. A stripper and her money are not easily parted.

While she searched for her breath, or her voice, or her sanity, his mask remained calm. Neutral, save for a thin eyebrow which seemed to both question and condemn.

'Oh yeah, that's him... Shit!'

When he was certain she regained her balance, he bowed his head slowly forward. And she couldn't move away, stilled stiff by shock and embarrassment, and no small measure of fear.

"I want a private dance. Now."

It wasn't desire or mockery in his tone. Just business. No nonsense, 'do as I say, and don't you dare keep me waiting' business. Mouth agape, she could only nod. He released the money into her hands, and she quickly gathered her clothing and scrambled to exit back behind the stage just as her song ended.

"Oh my god."

Absentmindedly, she discarded her outfit and made her way to her usual costume- the Japanese school girl always brought in the dough.

Plus, she considered, he especially might appreciate it. Seeing her closer to what she had been might make him more comfortable, or maybe she was taking her own comfort into account for once.

Not that there was much to be had.

"Nice set, Kamiko. That was hot!" one of the girls told her backstage.

She was dressing with haste, imagining a demon lord with short patience and deadly claws, and what he must want to do to the drunken miscreants in this building.

But come to think of it, what did he want with her?

"Even that cute guy who has been turning down all the girls tonight seemed to think so. That was a nice tip. Do you think he wants a dance?"

She touched herself up quickly in the mirror, adding a layer of lipstick and powdering away any sweat from the show.

Fully distracted, she spoke to the girl without looking her way.

"He does," she informed her. "Like, right now."

She adjusted her tits in the mirror.

The skirt was the same she had always donned, but her top was decidedly more revealing than the one she had actually worn to school. Both her belly and her breasts were plainly exposed.

"Well, shit, don't keep him waiting," the girl commanded playfully. "Did you see that suit?"

He was finely dressed. It was so weird to see Sesshoumaru in anything but his usual silk crest and armor. But probably not as weird as it was for him to see her totally ass naked.

But as a stripper, she was usually able to discern the men with money from the men without it simply by their clothing. She wondered what he was up to that would afford him such finery.

"Dude's got some cash. Now go get it!"

"It's not like that," she insisted distractedly. "I know him. I mean, I used to know him..."

Normally, a guy like Sesshoumaru would be any easy mark.

Young, lots of money, easy to flatter. A braggard. He wanted something to tell the boys at the office about tomorrow.

And Kagome – Kamiko- would waste no time making his wishes come true, while extracting every dollar he had come in with in the process.

But somehow, she doubted Sesshoumaru was here for a good time. She was pretty sure the demon wouldn't know a good time if crawled into his lap.

But she was about to find out.

"Well if you don't feel comfortable, send him my way, would you? I might even offer him a discount. He was fine as fuck!"

She shook her head as the other girl leaned forward to do the line of coke she had portioned out for herself.

If there was a buck to be made, there was no way she would give any of the others a chance to make it. When you knew the client, you had the upper hand, and dibs.

"No. He's here to see me."

The girl cut out another line, and offered it to Kagome, who casually refused it. This time.

Normally, she would partake at work when others offered her the drug. But she needed her wits about her for what was about to come. And despite needing a little extra courage, she could do without the nerves.

A different bouncer stood backstage. He wasn't the man at the front door; this one watched the dancers.

Dangerous things could happen in dark rooms with pretty girls. He made sure the customers stayed respectful... enough.

On her way back out on the floor, she turned to him.

"Get the VIP room ready for me. I have a feeling I'm going to need it."

* * *

She didn't have to go far to find him. He could scent her rapid advance. And now that she had been spotted, he stood by the door next to the stage where the dancers came out to work the crowd. He ignored the sultry smiles of the other ladies as they passed him, and refused politely and quickly when asked if he wanted a dance.

As she approached him, she couldn't help but thinking he wasn't as tall as she remembered. But then, she never used to wear heels to the feudal era.

"Hi."

She decided to forget the fact that he had just seen her dancing on stage butt naked, and that she had just rubbed her tits in his face.

"Miko."

And apparently, he was willing to do the same.

And though his appearance was altered, he was still as handsome as ever.

He didn't need to be in a place like this. He could get pretty girls for free anywhere he went. Especially with the amount of money he appeared to have.

"Don't suppose you're here for the dancing."

He narrowed his eyes at even the suggestion.

"I sensed you."

She tried, and failed, not to feel flattered.

It wasn't every day the Lord of the West sought you out personally. Usually when he took on such endeavors, a horrific murder was not long in coming.

But she was the only one who knew who he was. Knew who he had been. Was that why he was here?

Did this guy just want to feel special, after all? Just like all the others?

"Yeah, I kinda figured." She had to break eye contact to make her awkward suggestion. "So, the VIP room will give us some privacy... well, as much as we can get around here. Its two grand for an hour."

From the look on his face, it sounded as just weird to hear it as it did to say.

But she did her best to remain professional. While he did his best to remain unaffected.

"I do not see this taking that long," he replied, after taking only a second to consider her suggestion.

"An hour is minimum," she quickly informed him. "And it comes with a bottle of champagne. Otherwise, we're gonna have to do this out here." She gestured around the main floor, filled with dozens of people.

She was on the clock. If he wanted to chat, her time was going to cost him just as much as any other customer.

Plenty of guys came in just wanting a few minutes of her attention. And if he wasn't paying, he was preventing her from making money off of someone else.

Inclining his head, he seemed resigned to that fact.

"An hour it is then," he agreed. "Lead the way."

She grabbed his hand. It's just what you did when escorting a man to the VIP room.

Her job was to make him feel special, and that meant touching him.

Though she was sure it wasn't what he was really after, she had an image to maintain, to her bosses and her customers.

She dragged him through the back way, where the private rooms were located.

He peeled two thousand dollars in hundreds out of his money clip and handed it to Kagome. She would trade it to the bouncer for their champagne.

Her bouncer stood outside the room, and handed her the bottle and two glasses, before turning to Sesshoumaru, and issuing his obligatory threat.

"The two grand buys you an hour of dancing and a bottle of champagne, and that is all, understand?" Sesshoumaru held his ground as the muscular man stepped closer.

"If Kamiko wants to allow more, that is at her discretion. Do not touch her _anywhere._ If she wants to touch you, she may." The man narrowed his eyes in an attempt to appear intimidating.

Kagome couldn't tell if the demon was slightly amused, or terribly irritated by the man's proximity.

"This is a gentlemen's club," he continued on. "If you act like a gentleman, we won't have a problem. If you don't, you ain't walking out of here comfortably; and once you're out, you never come back. Got it?"

His face remained passive, but the glint in his eye had Kagome feeling nervous.

He had killed men for less. Much less. But he wasn't an idiot.

He went through the trouble to disguise his appearance. Surely, he didn't unleash his poison whip at every muscle head who spoke at him rudely. Still...

"It'll be okay." She placed her palm against Sesshoumaru's chest to both show her faith in him, and to attempt to placate any violent feelings he may be having. "I know him. He won't be any trouble."

It was her duty to serve him the bottle, so she took her items in one arm to drag him inside by his jacket.

Sesshoumaru allowed her to lead him, but he kept eye contact with the bouncer as he passed.

The bouncer closed the door behind them as they entered the room, but it was clear that he was standing right outside, and wouldn't be moving.

"Sorry about him, but that's his job."

A booth in a half circle was apparently their destination. The dim lighting couldn't hide the tacky gold decorating from his superior view.

She placed the glasses on the table, and dutifully poured them each a serving.

"I understand. I will not retaliate."

"Thank you. Have a seat, Sesshoumaru."

She made a point to say his name. She wanted to make it real. Or else, to give the man a last chance to tell her she was crazy, and prove she was imagining things. He didn't.

"I can take your jacket, if you like."

It was rather warm. Most of the girls wore next to nothing- or nothing- and needed to be comfortable. Not to mention all of the excited bodies in the area seemed to contribute to the increased temperature.

He removed his coat and handed it to her, which she put off to the side, and climbed in the booth next to him.

He noted how far away the table was from the seat.

She drew his dimensioning eye away from the booth.

"How'd you find me?"

She took a glass, and waited for him to do the same.

"You insinuate that I was searching?"

They each took a sip, and she topped them off again, apparently needing the courage.

"Well, somehow you don't seem like the kind of guy who waltzes into strip clubs." She always was more astute than she appeared. "And what are the odds you would be in Portland from Japan at the same time as me by coincidence?"

And even with his features masked by faux humanity, he had always been able to strike fear in the hearts of men with only a withering glare. The harsh intensity of his gaze held her gaze captive.

"Outstanding odds."

His silky-smooth voice sounded authoritative in its certainty. Combined with his narrowed pupils, he always managed to make her feel like she should apologize for something.

But she refused to buckle under gaze. This was her house.

Still, she took another sip. He did the same.

"So what are you doing here?"

"Dance."

Her head snapped to him. She must not have heard him right.

"What?"

She looked at him incredulously, and it bothered her how annoyingly calm he was being.

He looked her square in the eye.

"I am paying good money for a dance, miko."

She was sure he only wanted to talk.

As long as the guy was paying, she wasn't really required to dance. Unless, that's what the man wanted.

But it always drew some suspicion when she wasn't dancing on her customer. It usually meant something more sinister was afoot.

She huffed, putting down her glass, and stood.

"Still an asshole."

He finished the contents of his flute, and placed the empty glass on the table.

She had a remote in the booth to control the songs, and she turned the music up slightly. Enough so they could still talk, but also so as to avoid suspicion from bosses or coworkers.

"Do you speak to all of your customers like that?"

He got more comfortable, reclining back slightly as she took her place before him. He loosened his tie only slightly, and undid the top button of his dress shirt.

She stood, straddling one of his legs while she placed a hand on each of his shoulders.

He was actually smiling at the irony. Maybe this would be fun after all.

She bent herself forward, brushing her breasts into his chest as she placed her lips next to his ear, and spoke lowly.

"Actually, I do."

And she began, her experienced, skillful movements grinding shamelessly against him.

She'd done this a million times; she wasn't shy anymore. Not in the slightest.

The part of her brain which once felt nervous or embarrassed at such things had closed off seemingly for good. And if she had any qualms about this particular lap dance, it had everything to do with the demon whose thigh was now pressed intimately between her legs.

But apparently, he _did_ want to talk. He probably just wanted to throw in a little humiliation once he saw the opportunity. But seeing that she wasn't rattled, he pressed on... while she did the same.

He spoke a louder, to compensate for the music, and she kept her ear by his lips to aid her in hearing him. She was sure he could hear her just fine, however. Her hair cascaded over his shoulder, and tickled the side of his face.

"The short version of my incredibly long story is that I am now in finance."

She put a knee on either side of his lap and rolled her hips into his stomach. Damn, his abs were tight.

"I have spent the last century building an immensely successful firm, of which I am CEO; and my recent acquisition has seen me investing in an American company right here in Portland." He kept his eyes on her face as she moved along his body, but he could feel every pass of her pliant form against his.

She rubbed her hands up and down his firm chest as she rolled her hips against him, and occasionally stroking his thighs with her ass.

"The Evergreen Building is now owned by me-"

"Taisho Financial," she realized in that moment. "You moved into town last week."

Whipping her hair over his face, she pressed her front into his as she moved slowly down his torso.

"Indeed. You follow my firm?" he asked the top of her head as she descended down his body. "I never would have expected a woman in your profession would follow the financial market."

She spun, taking a seat on his lap and grinding her ass into his crotch in a slow, repetitive rhythm.

She could feel his erection. Right there, where it was supposed to be. He was a male, after all. She didn't know why she expected him to be any different. Maybe she didn't.

He just always did so well at seeming unaffected. It was gratifying to know she could stir his desires.

She leaned back into him, and turned her head to speak into his ear. As she did, she made sure that her lips touched him when they moved.

"Yeah, because strippers aren't interested in money, right?"

Her question was not wanting for sarcasm, and it caught him slightly off guard. Though he wasn't sure why. The infuriating young woman had never afforded him the proper respect. But nearly naked and plastered into his growing hard on, it made it difficult to relay his disapproval adequately.

Perhaps he had made a misstep in demanding that she perform for him. But it was too late to recant now.

As she rolled her ass harder into his stiffening member, she grabbed the hands kept respectfully at his sides, and placed them to rest on her working hips. Following her lead, he pulled her against him as he ground harder into her ass. She wasn't sure, but a short growl may have escaped him.

Pleased to temper him momentarily, she deigned to answer his question.

"But no, I don't follow your company. I only know who you are because you bought the biggest building downtown, and are royally fucking up traffic for the rest of us"

As he kneaded her hips with his hands, his fingers found their way up the sides of her skirt. He quickly found that she wasn't wearing any panties beneath the familiar article, and he noted the smooth feel of her recently waxed pubic area. His proximity to her groin shot a throbbing pleasure to her core, as she instinctively desired firmer, and more pointed pressure.

She took command of his hands again and drug them slowly up her sides. The action caused her skirt to lift briefly, exposing her nether regions to his very perceptive eyes.

He allowed her to lead his palms up her body. And when she finally placed them over her breasts, she squeezed them, indicating he do the same. Once he did, she removed herself and left him to fondle her chest roughly, at his discretion.

"Not to mention, your new construction is bringing in waves of rich douchebags who are ruining our tranquil little city and sending home prices through the roof. You are the reason the landlord jacked up my rent."

He thrust up into her as she continued to grind. The size of his cock was somewhat startling, and she became aware of how large the demon lord really was. The way his dick slid against her ass gave him an all-encompassing tight sensation; almost as if he were inside her. She swore she could feel the huge organ pulsing, and precum made a wet spot on his slacks which she could clearly feel as he stabbed into her.

His fingers were finding their way inside her cleavage, venturing beneath the thin material and leaving a tingling sensation when he reached her tightened peaks. Small moans would occasionally escape her, and his breathing became decidedly more ragged.

He pulled her back to him, and spoke lowly into her ear, ensuring his lips touched her this time.

"Hopefully the two thousand I spent on this mid-grade bottle of champagne will help ease your pain. Not to mention, the clientele you may now enjoy with your inflated lap dance prices."

With that, she rose, and spun. He expected her to become indignant. It is what she would have done in the past. But he didn't have to remind himself that they were no longer there. This was not the same woman, and he was not the same demon.

His point was accented as she pealed her top over her head and tossed it aside.

It actually took restraint for him to remain in his seat. And though his markings were hidden, he was certain they were turning jagged beneath the magic he used to conceal them.

Her eyes widened only a second as she took in the sight of him.

Feeling it was certainly one thing, but now she could see the obvious effect she was having on him. His cock was tenting his pants to a distracting degree, and she quickly covered her awe with a superior smirk.

His voice became huskier as his red tinged eyes zeroed in on her naked, glistening breasts. Her nipples were hardened despite the sweltering heat inside.

"I scented you the moment I entered the city." He struggled to keep eye contact as she moved closer once again. She noticed how his gaze kept flicking to her exposed breasts, which to be fair, were strategically at eye level with him now.

"But once I finally tracked you down, I was reluctant to approach you. When I realized where you worked, I wasn't certain I wanted to see what you were up to."

Putting a knee up on the bench, she knelt over him; he had to tilt his head back to look at her now, and she ran her fingers through his hair. She'd always wanted to do that when it was longer.

She placed a forearm to rest on the edge on either side of his head, and she kneeled forward enough to brush his face with her nipples. But unlike on the stage, this time was firmer, more forceful.

Hands remained at his sides, but this time he allowed his tongue to slip out and lick what she offered him.

"Because naked humans disgust you?" she breathed out, trying to remain focused as he sucked on her aching breasts.

She positioned her other knee right between his thighs and rubbed against his throbbing cock, stimulating him further. His pants felt so tight now, it was almost painful.

When his fingers twitched at his sides, she smirked again, and withdrew from him slightly.

He was looking up at her questioningly when she extracted herself from his lips, as she reached over to take his hand, and placed it instructively on her ass. He moved the other on his own accord, and she pressed into him again so that he may resume his attentions; while he rubbed from the back of her thighs up to the mounds of her cheeks, and grabbed.

His hands and his mouth caused a tremble of want to rock through her tempting frame, but she ignored her own pleasures. She had a job to do here.

She made little whimpers and moans, but he couldn't be certain it wasn't just for his benefit. Placing a hand on each shoulder she dipped her head low to lick and nibble his ear.

"Because you were the Shikon Miko," he rasped, not succeeding in keeping the feral note completely out of his language. His throat felt thick. "Such a devastating fall from grace is difficult to bear witness, or wrap one's mind around."

She removed her knee from his crotch to straddle his lap. His hardened cock was now pressed right up against her core. As she ground forward, she too was stimulated by the pressure as she rocked into him. She was still biting gently at the shell of his ear, and licking the opening lightly, causing his mouth to dry out. Suddenly, that champagne didn't seem like such a bad idea.

"I intended to mock you, but it seems life has taken care of that for me. My appearance here seems too cruel even for me."

She released his ear from her teeth so she could pull back enough to address him. The action caused her weight to settle against him pleasingly. If possible, she thought she felt him grown even harder, and she had the desire to bounce up and down on his cock; stab herself with it.

The wild look in his eyes only fueled the arousal in her loins.

"And yet, here you are. So what do you want?"

She stopped moving on him to get her answer, as his hands settled on her hips once more.

He managed to lift an eyebrow.

"Is it not obvious?"

When he ground his thick cock up into her again, she faltered, dumbstruck.

"You gotta be kidding me."

She was sure he was teasing her. Daring her. Forcing her to prove her convictions.

But she was the tease here. She would call his bluff.

She slid from his lap down to the floor in a fluid movement, with a hand on each of his thighs for leverage.

She noted a fang peeking out over his lip, and it thrilled her. She hadn't seen fangs in so long. Hadn't felt them...

She was kneeling between his legs which were now parted more widely, and began shamelessly and harshly rubbing his erection through his slacks with her hands.

She'd felt the effect she was having on him while in his lap. And a girl with her experience could recognize when the time was right for a dollar to be made. It doesn't take long for a dancer to learn the proper moment to strike.

Sure, nearly every man who entered the club was sporting a massive hard on from the moment they walked in. But the dance, the tease, the anticipation is what made a man willing to fork over a high price to see his desire properly sated.

Sesshoumaru was ready.

She dipped her head low, and rubbed her open lips over his straining bulge. The thin material of his expensive slacks let her feel every pulse of his massive organ, and in turn she was certain he was just as sensitive to her lascivious attentions.

She chanced a look to gauge his reaction, to find him watching her very intently. His markings were kept concealed, but just barely; more red was beginning to seep through his façade.

But she wouldn't offer.

Normally, she would make this transaction as easy and painless for the customer as possible. It was her job to make him comfortable, after all.

But no. This man- this demon- was going to have to lower himself for her. It was often the submissive who possessed the real power in situations like these. And though she would soon be forced to degrade herself further for his pleasure, she herself would get great satisfaction by eliciting the request. After all he had professed about her kind in the past... She would make him want her.

She returned her lips to his lap for another tour of his aching manhood, dragging her open mouth firmly along his searing hot erection. When she reached the head of his cock, she could feel the ridge clearly; where it puffed away from the shaft and narrowed slightly to a tip.

She tightened her lips, almost as if kissing it, and she could taste more precum where it was staining his well-made clothing. She attempted to take him in against her tongue, but the fabric prevented her from traveling too far.

In that moment, he caved.

"How much?" he finally asked her, resigned to his fate, and with no small measure of urgency. But she was a pro. She kept her smug smile contained.

"Head is 500."

Actually, it varied from person to person. And dancer to dancer. But from his fine clothing -and now that she could see them up close, his shoes- she figured he could float it. Not to mention their history. He wouldn't turn down such an opportunity.

"The money's in my pocket."

She slid her hand slowly up his thigh, making sure to entice him further on her way to retrieving her payment. She reached into his pants and pulled out a money clip filled with 100's.

Assured he had the cash -not that there was really a doubt- she placed it on the floor beside her without counting out her share. She would do it afterward, and he didn't seem concerned with the delay.

"And here I thought you were just happy to see me."

She pressed herself forward, and undid the button below his navel. She looked him in the eye as she slowly took his zipper down, over the throbbing mass which was begging to be freed. He only watched silently while she pulled him from his silk boxers, finally releasing his excited manhood and exposing it to her waiting grasp. But his lids became noticeably hooded with relief as she used her hand to stroke his exposed length from base to tip.

His eyes cut to the bouncer for a moment through the now cracked open door. The man was pointedly looking away, though it was clear he had an ear out for any possible trouble that would come from the undercover demon. Not that he could do much to stop him, if he wished to impose himself. But he didn't know what he was. No one knew but her.

After only a few strokes, she wrapped her lips around his tip, and his faux violet eyes slammed shut in welcomed pleasure. A short, thankful groan escaped his throat as her talented tongue swirled firmly around his engorged head, and he leaned his head back while running his fingers through her hair.

He wasn't supposed to touch the girls. But then, they weren't supposed to be granting sexual favors for money under the table, so certain allowances could be made.

He had meant to guide her down the length of his shaft, but she had already put herself to work.

Applying a nice, tight pressure, she maneuvered her neck back and forth, and forced herself to do her best at taking him all the way down her throat. She didn't succeed at first.

He choked her with his turgid girth a few inches before she reached the base. But when she relaxed her throat and pressed herself forward, she was eventually able to take him all the way down.

He hissed at the first contact of her wet mouth around his cock. But after a moment of her professional attentions, he shamelessly groaned as she tasted soft, and salty hardness between her powerful lips.

A few shaky, relieved exhales were all that could be heard over the sucking sounds she made. But he seemed to rein in his reactions. One hand still at the back of her head- fingers weaved into her thick, raven locks- he placed the other behind his own head for support, as he continued to tilt his face toward the ceiling- eyes closed.

"Mmn. I wish Inuyasha was here to see this."

A weird thing to say. But she knew what he meant.

"To see his coveted prize, on her knees before his half-brother."

She didn't respond. As she was, she really couldn't. She had no doubt that was a main draw to him engaging in such a thing. For once, she couldn't sass him. For once, she would be forced to listen.

"He waited for you, you know. Ng... But only for a year. He was heartbroken when you vanished. But how quickly the heart mends when properly mmm...motivated."

She wasn't deterred. Cruel men had stopped having an effect on her years ago. She considered that inside, she may be as cold as he was now.

"Another human woman, no surprise." His breath was coming more labored as he taunted. "Long black hair. Toned, sh-_apely_ legs. But much more submissive. Though I suppose that was unavoidable. Ah..."

Was this the best he had? She wanted to scoff. He had lost his touch.

"She bore him three sons, and a daughter," he continued, between heavy pants. "Quarter demons; vile little things. You'll never guess what he named the girl..."

She never paused in sucking his cock, but she was listening.

"Kikyo."

That name. She hadn't heard it in years. But she felt nothing. She had put the Edo period aside a long time ago.

"They are all dead now, of course." His eyes were still closed. He wasn't even trying to look at her anymore. "Everyone you knew from then is gone. This One is all there is left." A sharp intake of breath followed an especially long, firm pull of her lips up to his glistening tip.

"Just you and I," he marveled mockingly. "Are you pleased to see me, miko?"

She thought he was waiting for an answer, one that she wouldn't give. But he was considering something.

He debated himself only a moment, before finally finding his voice.

"Another hundred if you bring forth your powers."

She pulled him from her mouth, but still stoked him as she responded. She squeezed him tightly in her fist, and he gasped a broken breath at the pressure. Her power over him was addicting.

"Two."

She rested an arm on one thigh as her other hand worked him perfectly. She watched him, but his eyes were still closed. The power she felt was incredible, though she wasn't sure if it was his, or her own.

A short laugh from him startled her. "Done."

She never used her reiki anymore. With no demons around, she had no need to. But she would never forget how. When she returned her mouth to his lap, she unlocked the part of herself which had been clamoring for release for years, and she thought she had ended him right there.

"_Ah!"_ Though it wasn't enough to hurt him, he almost sounded startled as she unleashed her purity, but the pleasure in his tone told her he didn't want her to stop. The way his youki billowed out to come to his rescue made her not want to either. Her clit throbbed at the shiver that his tendrils of power shot through her.

She sped up her motions, and he finally seemed to lose his ability to converse with her further. She was relieved, but she wondered if he only taunted her to encourage her to finish him more quickly. His breathing became rapid, and she moved her hand to cup his balls through the silk.

The manifestation of his powerful youki was terrifying in that moment. But though it overwhelmed her, she didn't shy away.

He pulled tightly at her hair as he came in her mouth with a strangled groan. His hot cum filled her, dripping past her lips, down her chin, and a bit down her throat.

When she tried to move away, he held her still. He knew she intended to spit, but he wouldn't have it. After only a moment of struggling, she stopped resisting and just took what he gave her.

When he was finished, she moved to focus on the tip while she cleaned up his mess.

She rose to her feet, as she picked the money clip up off the floor while he regained his breath. He fastened his pants as he also stood, and once she peeled off her bills, she handed it back to him.

"Extra 50 for swallowing," she informed him, holding the money for him to see.

He smirked, reaching forward.

"You could have had me for more," he informed her. "I would have paid a thousand without a second thought."

She smirked as well, and didn't let go when he tried to pull the money clip from her hand. He thought for a moment that she would demand more. He was almost hoping she would.

"I would have done it for free, so I guess we're even."

She finally released it, as he was caught off guard by her bold statement.

His eyes never left her as he returned his money to his pocket. He assessed her for a moment, and seemed to consider his next question.

"Is it worth it?" he finally asked, tucking his shirt back into his pants. "How much can you possibly make at a place like this?"

She shrugged without lifting her gaze to him, and began putting on her flimsy clothing.

"It depends. About 10 grand a month, on average."

Nothing to scoff at. But for a woman who once placed her virtue in such high regard... it seemed an insufficient price in exchange for her self-respect. Perhaps her insecurities regarding the dead priestess succeeded in chipping away at her worth after all. He was unsettled by the thought.

"At 500 a pop, I shudder to think of how many cocks you have to suck to pull off such a feat."

Shifting her tits more comfortably, she inspected herself for anything she might have missed.

"Hm. Some cocks require more payment than others. But a lot of it comes from dances."

He could now judge her words with post-orgasmic clarity. She was as unaffected now as she had been on the stage. And, come to think of it, how she had been throughout this whole ordeal. The difference was striking.

She was just so blasé about it. This woman used to be incorruptible. It seemed that time had finally broken her, perhaps even more than himself.

"If I paid you ten thousand a month, would you stop?"

She scoffed. She thought he was just being a dick, but the way he waited for a response told her he actually expected an answer.

"You're serious."

"Always."

They were both silent, wishing the other would speak, but also hoping they wouldn't.

Resigned to his reticence, she simply turned and made for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"We're done here," she informed him without looking over her shoulder.

"I believe I paid for an hour."

She stopped to turn then, to find him advancing on her, albeit slowly; as when one approaches a timid animal he does not wish to scare off.

"It's not my fault you're a quick lay. The dance is over when you cum in my mouth."

But she let him approach her, until he was before her once more.

"But it _is_ your fault," he informed her. She couldn't help but smirk.

"I paid for an hour, and I should like to have it."

She rolled her eyes, and made to leave again.

"If you want another blowjob, you're going to have to pay again."

"That won't be necessary. I only wish to talk." He touched her arm then, but no force was applied.

She made eye contact with the bouncer, who had been watching their exchange. He was ready to intervene at her request, but her gaze relayed that his assistance wasn't necessary.

She looked at where they touched, and then back into his eyes- his mask once again hiding his natural color. They were also considerably softer than they had been not 5 minutes ago, and void of the red indicating his beast's control over his form.

"You may get dressed," he informed her with a slight frown. "No dancing. Just sit. Please."

Please? Since when did the Lord of the West plead with anyone? And why now? She was beginning to get worried.

"I have more money, if that is what you require." He put his hand in his pocket, reminding her of the clip still filled with bills. "Just stay."

At her reluctance, he gestured back to the booth.

"We still have champagne," he tried further. "It should not go to waste."

He seemed to be attempting anything he could to get her to remain. But why?

She just couldn't refuse him. His desperation was almost cute. She just wasn't used to guys wanting to hang around after they got their nut. It made her very uncomfortable, but she relaxed her posture, and tried her best to look put out.

"Mind if I smoke?"

He smirked, and she made her way back to the table.

She sat, and he followed. She put her cigarette in her mouth, and he pulled his own lighter from his pocket and lit it for her.

"I shall join you." To her surprise, he reached for his coat, and pulled a cigarette case from his breast pocket, and lit up.

"You smoke?" she asked incredulously. "I would have thought the smell would be offensive for a dog demon."

He took a long drag and leaned back in his seat.

"No more offensive than the rest of modern society. It may actually be an improvement."

Seeing how comfortable he suddenly appeared, she scooted up next to him so that they were touching, and leaned back beside him.

Chancing a look at Sesshoumaru, she couldn't help but recognize how bizarre this scenario had become. This was so not how she had expected her day to go when she woke up this morning.

He poured them each another glass of champagne, which she accepted with a smile.

They each took a few drags in silence before he finally spoke again.

"Do you do that often?"

She knew he was talking about the blowjob. She didn't feel the need to look his way to respond.

"Pretty often, yeah."

She wasn't stripping long before she realized where the real money was at. You can only make so much giving dances. Most of the girls parlayed their platform into more lucrative side businesses.

"Are you not worried about disease?"

She turned her head to him, and couldn't contain her mockery at his concern.

"The guy usually wears a condom. Most men are not so bold about raw dogging a stripper."

"Most men do not have my scent," he justified. "Had you anything contractable, This One would have discerned it."

"Well, I guess that's a relief." She blew another smoky breath, and lifted her glass to her lips. "You would have saved me a lot of money on trips to the gynecologist."

He went on to inform her of several medical uses for his sharp nose. One sniff from him could save her hours of clinical assessment.

But that wasn't why he was here. Neither was the other thing, really. He had a burning question that he had wanted to ask since the moment he discovered her place of business. Finally, he asked it.

"So, why this? Do not tell me you are stripping your way through college."

He gestured for her empty flute by lifting the bottle in offering. He filled hers to the top before draining the remains into his own glass.

"Been there, done that. I got my degree last year."

They both enjoyed a sip before his inevitable follow up.

"Then why are you still here?"

She huffed dramatically.

"Because I got my degree in history, and I need to keep my lights on. This pays way better, so I just kind of stuck with it."

"Surely you know that the shelf life of a stripper is quite young. You cannot do this forever."

She fixed him with a deadpan expression.

"You're one to talk. What are you, like 1000?"

"Something like that," he conceded with an elegant lift of his shoulder. "However, I'm a male, and a demon. My age is irrelevant."

Just because it was true didn't make it any nicer to hear. Men were useful in society as long as they were useful. Women tended to be useful as long as they were hot, and no longer.

But those harsh realities didn't apply to her anymore.

"Well, neither is mine. The jewel saw to that. I haven't aged a day since we defeated Naraku, and I never will." At his confused look, she elaborated.

"You saw my tattoo?" She gestured to the image of the fully formed Shikon at her hip. The opposite hip which harbored her awful scar.

His eyes cut to the creamy skin above her hip bone, and lingered perhaps a moment longer than was necessary.

He nodded, though he didn't need to.

"Right behind it, is where the jewel is now. It was taken from one side of me by force. After my wish, it chose me as its home once more. I guess eternity together is my reward. Or my punishment."

He thought she had aged much more slowly than a human. It was just so hard to tell. Because it had been so long, and human aging was so different to his own. He himself hadn't aged a day since they last spoke. He supposed, neither had she. Though her eyes looked like they had lived a thousand lifetimes.

He wondered if his true age could be reflected in his golden depths as well. Perhaps only those who knew him then could discern the difference. Did the magic he used also conceal the window to his soul?

Maybe someday, he would ask her.

He wasn't pleased that she used her youthful appearance to justify remaining in this line of work.

"Still, surely you-"

"I'm sorry, and you care because?" she interrupted, growing annoyed with the line of questioning. Kagome did not appreciate men telling her what to do. Part of the allure of this job was having complete control over herself, and everyone else.

"Just because I sucked your cock doesn't mean you get to dictate my life choices. What are you, some white knight? Are you going to save me?"

"Do you wish to be saved?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Unless you want to save me from student loan debt, there is nothing you can do."

He considered her statement. He certainly could. Why he would be inclined, he had no idea.

Back when he knew her, he had never given the miko a lingering glance. Well, not one of a sexual nature.

He begrudgingly recognized her power, and conceded her will and strength. Not to mention her necessity in taking down Naraku. But back then, he would never consider a human as anything remotely arousing.

Perhaps he wouldn't allow it. He had still not forgiven his father for perishing the way he had.

No, it wasn't until much later, after the centuries had passed and demons had been all but extinct that he even allowed himself to consider her great allure.

He would recall her ferocity. Her defiance. Her striking blue eyes which awoke a fire within his soul that he simply couldn't explain. But he would think little on it. He may have fantasized a time or two in passing, when his thoughts had taken down a particularly nostalgic path. But they had been nothing worth examining.

For some reason, looking at her now, he saw fit to tell her so.

"I have thought about that more than once, you know." Her eyes widened in surprise at the admission. She guessed that now, the idea shouldn't seem so impossible. "How about you?"

She didn't want to answer that. But from her reaction, she didn't need to.

"Yes, I know you have," he replied with a smug smile, reaching out to flick away his ashes. "I could scent your arousal back in the feudal area, before Naraku was defeated."

As their group's goals became somewhat aligned at the end, she had begun to regard Sesshoumaru as more an ally than an enemy. They would cross paths briefly, from time to time. And back then, the demon had been anything but charming. He certainly paid no interest in her or her friends.

But he was damned attractive, that she had to admit. And she had been a teenaged girl. A sexually frustrated teenaged girl, with no boyfriend to experiment with. There were times when Sesshoumaru had come around, and she let her thoughts stray perhaps farther than was appropriate.

But of course, she kept such things to herself. For many reasons, but one big one in particular.

"I thought you hated humans."

And she had thought correctly.

He hadn't realized the full influence of Rin's presence until years after her death.

He didn't deny affection for the girl he thought of as his pup. But it wasn't until much later when he would go so far as to allow a mortal woman to be with him intimately. Really, he wasn't left much choice.

"Time has forced me to make many concessions. Seeing as I am the only demon remaining, it would be foolish to keep my standards as they once were."

She had a lot of questions. She wanted to know when demons died out. And at what point he had decided that sleeping with humans was acceptable, if not simply unavoidable.

But really, she wondered about him now. What his current situation was.

"So, do you ever have sex without money involved?"

"Actually, I have never done this before," he admitted. That was what most guys she hooked up with at the club claimed. But for some reason, she believed him. He just wasn't the type. Not that she knew him all that well. But, as a stripper, she was able to dissect a man pretty accurately upon first sight.

His awkward smile was foreign, and kind of nice.

"And it was not my intention to. Your methods of extracting funds are excellent."

She shrugged again, leaning back into the booth as she took another drag.

"You do this a while, you learn how to play the game."

He turned to her as he took his last hit; before putting his cigarette out in the ashtray and giving her his full attention.

"Tell me, do you ever have sex for pleasure?"

Totally unaffected by his sudden scrutiny, she put her smoke out to join his on the table. His arm stretched out to relax behind her atop the booth's backrest.

"Getting money gives me pleasure, if that counts."

His smirk told her he wasn't letting her off that easy.

"It does not."

He wasn't hitting on her. And she wasn't running any game. She didn't make a point of lying to men, but she no longer shared herself very openly with others. Nothing beyond the physical, at least.

She preferred to keep things light, and superficial.

But even though they had never spoken much before this, he could probably claim to know her far better than most. And she had no desire to lie to him. Furthermore, she was inclined to be candid.

His bluntness and honesty encouraged her own, so she indulged him.

"I don't enjoy sex. I can only get off alone. So I don't see the point in fucking without getting something out of it."

She had tried when she was younger. She didn't expect high school boys to be able to make her climax. And she had heard that it could take girls a few years to find their rhythm.

But though she'd never had any issue bringing herself to glorious peaks, even more experienced men were unable to take her off the cliff.

The fact that none of her partners had any issue cumming did not sit well with her, and she had become resentful.

Why should she put herself out doing things for them when she did not particularly enjoy the act herself? To her, sex was something to be endured.

So, she figured, if she was able to disassociate during the act simply to appease her lovers, perhaps she could use her abilities to her benefit.

It seemed to help matters that she never had a shortage of men vying for her attentions.

"What about attaining closeness with a partner?"

"There isn't much room for partners in this line of work. That's kind of why I chose it."

It only took a moment for him to absorb what she was telling him, and analyze it.

"To keep males at a distance. Ironically, by letting them inside you," he mused.

She hadn't really considered it, but she reflected over his observation a moment after it was said.

He seemed to be assessing something as well, though his thoughts and eyes were trained intently on her. He appeared to be considering something; turning it over in his mind.

The end result of this pondering tore her from her introspection.

"If I wished to engage in intercourse, would you insist that I pay for it?"

She refrained from rolling her eyes.

Every man seemed to think they could get around paying at some point. Like she would be so wowed by their performance, she would want it just for fun. But she was a sex worker. This was her business. She supposed, if their sense of self was so inflated around her, that she was doing her job well. But still, the audacity...

It didn't matter how hot he was. Or how big his cock happened to be.

"Every man pays for it, one way or another." She was referring to men in general, but it applied to them too. "But unless you want to use cash, we would have to take it outside the club's property. They frown upon freebees."

The club got a cut of whatever she made within their walls. The way they saw it, they gave her access to her customers. So in return for looking the other way while she made her real money, they wanted a taste as kind of a finder's fee.

But such things were easily worked around. You just had to get creative.

"I'll fuck you if you want. And if you need the illusion that its free, you can just buy me something."

Screwing the hot demon lord was far from a daunting task.

Though she couldn't cum during sex, she didn't doubt he would be a good time.

What she had felt of his body already proved to be very stimulating so far.

And the way his power warred with hers was something she was definitely interested in pursuing further.

But this was her job. And if she could read him correctly, he was willing to pay her... somehow.

"So what were you thinking?"

He thought about it a moment, as he regarded her openly.

"How about dinner?"

She laughed, certain he was joking. But she was quick to remember that the Ice Prince had no sense of humor. Not one anyone else would be amused by.

"You're serious."

"Always. Have you eaten? You look as if you could use a meal."

She seemed thinner than he had remembered. Though, he had never been given such an unobstructed view of her body in the past.

Her face looked as If it had lost the baby fat of her youth, but her lifestyle would certainly add a few years, no matter if you were immortal.

"They frown upon eating here too," she informed him. "Getting fat is a good way to lose valuable customers."

Not to mention, being fully nude half of the day around others kept you in constant diet mode.

"In that case, I must insist. What time to you get off?"

Funny choice of words.

"I can leave whenever I want. Another perk of the job."

"Then gather your things. I know the perfect place."

He stood from his seat, and downed the last of his glass.

She remained seated, however, only able to watch.

"Right now? Like this?" she gestured to her state of undress.

He raised an eyebrow.

"I assume you have a change of clothing."

"Yes, but nothing nice enough to go out in. Plus, I'm still all made up." And not for going out in public. She painted herself to attract attention. Her work makeup was decidedly more dramatic than her regular style.

"Wear this." Before she could protest, he lifted his jacket from the booth and placed it around her shoulders.

The cool material felt nice against her skin, and she automatically pulled her hair to rest outside the collar.

It pleased him to see her in his clothing, more than the bastardized version of her old uniform that she wore.

She was far less distracting, but by no means less appealing. She didn't need all the get up.

"If I let you go home, I fear you may change your mind. And if I accompany you there, there is a chance we will not make it out to dinner. Now, come."

Again, phrasing.

But when he held out his hand to her, she took it, and allowed him to pull her up from her seat.

Adjusting his coat more comfortably for her, he looked into her face to find blue eyes already gazing at him. He repressed the urge to kiss her, even though they had experienced much more. Instead, he offered a small, almost sheepish smile. One which she returned.

* * *

He was forced to wait by the bouncer while she went to change back into her street clothes and grab her purse. She still wore his jacket after she changed into slightly less revealing attire, and washed her face to reapply a lighter level of makeup.

The man didn't engage him in conversation, luckily. And when Kagome finally emerged, Sesshoumaru put a proprietary arm around her shoulders while she tucked into his side and wrapped an arm around his back.

They began to exit the club, but a familiar voice from behind stopped their progress.

"Kamiko, you know the rules. If you are seen leaving with a customer, you can't return for the rest of the night."

One of the club decrees. It brought too much attention to the illegal activities of the dancers. It wasn't meant to be punishment; they just couldn't appear to be running a brothel.

"My dance card is full," she yelled over her shoulder as they continued to walk out. "I'll see you tomorrow."

But Sesshoumaru shot him a clandestine glance that relayed perhaps she would not.

"Hey, buddy..." The disrespectful address caused the demon lord to stop in his tracks. Kagome stiffened, and tightened her hold on him, afraid that perhaps he had finally reached his limit with the aggressive man.

When he turned slowly, she tried to hide the fear in her eyes, though she was sure he could sense her unease. He simply waited to hear the man out.

"If anything happens to her tonight, I know what you look like. I have a photographic memory to tell the cops. So you make sure she gets home nice and safe, okay bud?"

He promised not to retaliate, but he wouldn't deign to respond.

He supposed it was acceptable that these men were only looking out for her best interests. But now that he'd found her, their services were no longer needed.

He would see to the miko's protection.

And even if he wouldn't, there would be nothing these idiots could do to harm him.

He was getting weary of restraining the urge to remind humans all over of this fact.

"Does he speak English?" the bouncer asked her, once he realized that he hadn't said a word to him yet.

"Uh, no!" she lied, seeing the easy out.

"Don't worry. He's an old friend," she looked up at him with a smile, and he couldn't help but respond in kind. "He won't hurt me."

* * *

Watching Sesshoumaru drive a car was a surreal experience; though she conceded it was not the weirdest thing she had endured today. She wondered how many other illusions would be shattered as she watched the haughty demon exist within her world.

His automobile was obviously very expensive. Fast, thrilling, immaculate. It suited him.

And her, too. The soft feel of the leather seat against the back of her bare thighs was a luxuriating comfort.

She tried not to dwell on the fact that once through with dinner, she had agreed to fucking him in his downtown apartment.

She wasn't exactly nervous. But she couldn't deny the anticipation boiling in her veins. She wondered if he felt it too. By all outward appearances, he remained nonchalant about the whole thing. But she knew more than anyone how deceptive his cadence could be.

* * *

"I can't believe you took me here like this," she chided once the waiter left them with their menus.

He seemed to be ignoring her as he scanned over the evening's offerings.

"This is the nicest restaurant in town, and I look like a total whore. Everyone will think I am your prostitute."

The posh city grill was dimly lit for an air of privacy and romance, but the couple was not exactly inconspicuous.

She could feel the eyes upon her as they were escorted to their window seat, and didn't miss the flash of disapproval from the staff upon first taking in her appearance. But their lapse was quickly corrected.

Rudeness would not serve them well when it came time to tip. Something Kagome understood well.

"It is not far from being correct."

She tore her gaze from the beautiful view of the city below.

Not far from his office, this restaurant sat atop one of the tallest buildings downtown.

The panoramic view allowed one to take in the breathtaking sights of the city in every direction, as the floor was lined with large windows along the entire perimeter. Even at night, the lights of the town below made for a beautiful sight.

"You're enjoying this," she observed. "You like making these people uncomfortable."

He smirked, leaning forward with his hands clasped in front of him while she opened her menu.

"I assure you, they are the last thing on my mind."

When she ordered the most expensive steak they offered, he asked for the same. Red meat called for red wine, so he ordered a pricy bottle be delivered to the table.

She wanted to make this bill hurt him, but he didn't seem offended by her choices.

After sampling the wine and deeming it acceptable, the waiter poured them each a glass and left the bottle for them on the table.

Finally alone again, they regarded one another silently a moment more.

"Okay, so here I am." She picked up her glass and took a sip. She hoped the combination mixing with the earlier champagne wouldn't do her too much damage tomorrow. "What _is_ on your mind? I assume you brought me here to talk."

Lifting his glass as well, his eyes sparkled in interest. He had so many questions, and he sifted through them a minute as he decided where to begin.

"Married?"

It seemed unlikely, but it was a good place to start.

"Briefly. When I was 19. It didn't work out."

"Why not? Was he unfaithful?"

It seemed like a good bet. Marriages begun at such a young age were easily dissolved by infidelity.

She shook her head.

"Abusive. He had a temper, and he started throwing punches." He frowned at the admission, but her next statement would rectify that. "After the second time, I left him. After kicking him in the balls."

"Why did you get married?"

"Lots of reasons. Escape, support, and I thought I was in love. Turns out I have terrible taste in men. I seem to have a thing for bad boys with money."

Of that, he had no doubt. It seemed that the only thing that had changed in her tastes from 500 years ago was now the requirement of affluence. He had been all too aware of the type of male she had attracted. Had been attracted to.

But this was one venue in which she was no outlier.

"You and nearly every woman, I'm afraid."

He certainly had no trouble garnering attention in that regard. Though his badness was a far cry from battering defenseless women. Not that she was defenseless by any stretch of the imagination.

"Well, at least I'm not alone. What about you? Married? Mated?"

He didn't wear a ring, but most men in strip clubs didn't. Perhaps it made it easier to cheat on their wives without the reminder right in front of them. It certainly didn't matter to her. She didn't necessarily admire it, but if they had the money, that was all that mattered.

"I never mated. Though I did get married briefly, to a human, about a century ago. A month after the ceremony I walked in on her blowing my partner at a Christmas party. I had the marriage annulled."

She winced.

"Ooh, sorry."

He only shrugged.

"Dogs value loyalty above all else. But it was a blessing in disguise. She would have been dead by now anyway. And I never truly cared all that much for her. Some things you do simply because it is expected."

Sesshoumaru always chose his words carefully, so the way he phrased that confused her.

"What do you mean she 'would have been dead by now?' Didn't you keep tabs on her?"

Astute, once again. He couldn't contain his grin.

"Had she remained with me, I am certain old age would have been what took her. However, shortly after the annulment, circumstances arose which caused her untimely death."

From the look on her face, it was clear she assumed it had been him. He set to allay her fears.

"She married my partner after the annulment, and he and I spit up the business. He would go on to invest all of his money in some ill-conceived stocks at a particularly poor time in the market.

He must be talking about the crash. Even some of the wealthiest men were left penniless within days.

"They lost everything, and he shot himself that year. She chose a less violent way, with pills."

She had heard lots of stories like that from that particular period in history. Formerly wealthy businessmen were known to leap from their high rises when faced with devastating poverty. She supposed that if being rich was all one knew how to do, the thought of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps seemed impossible- or unappealing- to attempt.

To her, it was nothing but weakness on their part.

"They were both born into money. They were not willing to live without it. Pity. Had they followed my path, they would have had more than ever imagined."

He certainly seemed to come out of it alright. She wondered how much he had accumulated in the 400 years until that point. And for that matter, how much he had squirreled away since then.

"I guess things worked out for the best," she shrugged, not necessarily heartbroken for the ill-fated couple in his story. "For you, I mean. I guess everything happens for a reason."

He raised an eyebrow as she sipped her wine.

"I am surprised you can still put such faith in the fates, after everything you have endured, miko."

She only shrugged again.

"Hey, maybe I got screwed. But what about you? If you didn't catch your wife blowing your partner, he could have invested your money in the market with his, and you would have nothing as well."

Though she doubted he would have killed himself over it. He seemed far too concerned with self-preservation to ever consider such a thing.

And even though the fates had not been kind to her, she would be a fool to ignore the will of the gods. Some just tended to be looked upon more favorably than others.

She wondered what it was that the great kami saw in the demon who seemed to be blessed with it all.

He regarded her a long moment, and she got the feeling she was missing something. He finally liberated her of her ignorance.

"Miko, who do you think advised their untimely investments?"

Her eyes widened as realization dawned. He smirked as it sank in.

"I have always had a knack for finances. None may have been able to see what was coming, save for This Sesshoumaru. I started my company that same year, and the rest is history."

So, it had been him. Maybe he didn't pull the trigger, or slip her the pills. But he knew they would lose everything. He knew what they would do when they did.

His methods of attack had been more straight forward in the past. But within 'civilized' society, he would have to be less blatant when exacting his revenge.

But he was still as ruthless and bloodthirsty as he had ever been.

Only now, less violent. Or at least he contained it better.

She realized it didn't bother her. At one point it might have, but not anymore. It was just the way he was, and she was actually pleased to find at least some consistency in the demon lord.

"Damn. Aright, noted. Don't fuck with Sesshoumaru."

His smirk reached his eyes, and caused a thrill to jolt through her.

"You were already aware of this."

A moment of silence followed as he recognized the arousal emanating from across the table.

He wished they could just leave now, and skip to her part of this little transaction.

But he had promised her a meal. And he had to admit, he was enjoying catching up with the miko. He hadn't felt so at ease around another person in... he couldn't even remember how long.

He set to lessen the sudden tension, as he still had questions for her anyhow.

"Children?"

"No, thank god." Not that she didn't have her scares. She had actually considered getting her tubes tied, but the doctors make you wait until you are a certain age. It was maddening. Like they thought she would come to her senses and regret her decision later. As if a woman's only purpose in life was to produce offspring.

She found it condescending that old men would claim to know the workings of her heart better than she. So for now, she was simply steadfast in her birth control.

"You?"

"No children. None since Rin."

He'd said it without emotion, but her chest pinched for him at the mention of the child.

She'd forgotten about the sweet little girl, who was surely long dead.

Was that why he didn't want children? Perhaps the loss was something he hadn't wished to experience again.

The ensuing silence made him uncomfortable, so he ventured onward.

"Drugs?"

"Once in a while," she easily admitted. "Kinda goes with the territory, but I don't have a huge problem like most of the girls."

"What do you use?"

"Cocaine, on occasion. A lot of customers have it, and it helps get through work. Not to mention the owners and the strippers all use it." She suddenly grew contemplative. "It's sad, they get into coke to make it easier to strip, then they need to strip to support their habit. I'm sure it's no coincidence why it is made so available to us."

It didn't surprise him. He was aware of the trappings of the lifestyle she had chosen.

Actually, it was more surprising that she wasn't ensnared more deeply in such things. Most girls in her position seemed to have one vice or another.

In the art of full disclosure, he offered his own admission.

"I have tried it."

She couldn't contain her incredulous reaction.

"Get out!" He inclined his head. "But you seem like such a square."

The idea of a coked-up demon lord wreaking havoc on the world was actually somewhat terrifying.

Raising an eyebrow, he tried to make sense of her assessment.

"I am the greatest killer in the history of Japan, or did they gloss over my accomplishments in that college you attended?"

Nope. The body counts of ruling demons in the feudal era were certainly not touched upon while obtaining her degree. But she was painfully aware of his conquests.

"I know, but... I guess you just don't seem like the type to engage in recreational partying."

"You have just learned the opposite to be true. What were we doing an hour ago?"

Touche. He certainly hadn't been shy about getting dome from a stripper in what amounted to public space. Though to be fair, not many men would turn down a BJ when offered so aggressively.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. You are the coolest douchebag in town, okay?"

He didn't appreciate being lumped in with the other vermin she associated with. But he conceded that he had behaved not unlike them back there.

But he justified his actions by telling himself that, were it anyone but her, he would not have allowed it to occur.

These circumstances were... unusual, to say the least.

He thought to his peers, and the indiscretions he had witnessed over the years.

"The world of finance is rife with cocaine use as well. And strippers are in no short supply. It seems our vocations support one another."

Their meals finally arrived when they were halfway through the bottle.

Medium rare for her, and raw- of course- for himself.

Despite his appearance, Sesshoumaru was still youkai. Watching him bite into his bloodied steak, Kagome found herself slightly aroused at the reminder.

She had thought she would never be in the company of a demon again. She had missed it. Missed the thrill it gave her.

They paused their conversation to eat. But halfway through, he saw fit to continue on with his interrogation.

"Boyfriend?"

Swallowing her bite, she dabbed her lip with her napkin before answering.

"Several. Though I don't know if you could really call them that. I have men who support me in various ways, and I fuck them in return. Nothing I would call an actual relationship."

He accepted her assessment. He'd had what amounted to 'fuck buddies' in the past. But as he required no compensation in the form of monetary relief, he enjoyed the pleasure they could offer, and the company when required. But it had been a long while since he had seen a woman with any regularity.

At his silent reaction, she elaborated further.

"Did a girlfriend experience thing once, that was okay."

She drew him from his musings with the unfamiliar term.

"Girlfriend experience?"

"Yeah. It's pretty much like a sugar daddy, who you live with."

It sounded like a live-in prostitute, and he couldn't discern the appeal.

"Would he not prefer to simply pay for sex?"

Many of the men he knew who paid for female attention didn't need to buy sex. Men of great means could easily persuade an attractive woman to his bed. They explained, however, that they were really paying for the woman to leave afterward.

Too many females, when given the opportunity, make attempts to extend a night of passion into a relationship which is not desired by the man. Paying for a professional keeps the expectations at bay.

He had never paid for sex- until today- but he had endured the complications of a woman who wanted much more from the relationship that he was willing to give.

"Some guys want a little more attention. So they pay a girl to move in with them," she explained, pushing the remainder of her meal around her plate with her fork. "They go to movies, and dinner, and parties. She fucks him, of course, but she will also feign interest in his life, and let him talk about his day. She may provide comfort." She paused to take a bite, and engrossed, he mimicked her actions.

"Guys who can afford that usually hire a maid, so she doesn't have to cook and clean. In return, he can either give her a monthly salary, or he pays her tuition, and buys her a car, or whatever she might need. It's not so different than a regular relationship, actually."

Her affect was disturbing. But he wondered why he cared.

He found he preferred the bright eyed, naive young woman he had briefly called his ally long ago.

But he was further disturbed to realize he'd had a preference at all.

"You sound so cynical," he offered with a frown, preparing another piece of steak consume.

"Well, it's true!" She put down her fork, and looked around the restaurant. "Like look at these couples here. Most of them don't really care about each other." She gestured broadly, but turned her focus on an unaware couple a few tables down. "He's in it for the sex, and the arm candy." The difference in age and attractiveness in the pair made their dynamic painfully clear. "She wants someone to pay the bills."

She turned back to her food, but his gaze remained on the strangers as she spoke. "So they fake interest in each other's shit to get what they want out of the relationship. A girlfriend experience is just like that, but honest. And since love isn't involved, no one gets hurt."

He couldn't deny her assessment appeared accurate.

He supposed that observant strippers could offer a good deal of insight on the human condition.

They must encounter all sorts of broken individuals. Though her job did wonders for her perception, it seemed to do little for her faith in humanity. Could it be that _he_ was actually the optimistic one between the two of them, in regards to her race?

"Is she expected to be loyal?" he couldn't help but wonder. This dynamic was very intriguing.

She shrugged.

"It's up to them." She looked back to the couple she was dissecting to scrutinize for his education. "But since he most likely isn't, he probably won't push the issue too much. As long as she doesn't rub his nose in it. Just like real couples, they are on the honor system, and it is often ignored."

* * *

Finally, over dessert, she asked about her friends.

He informed her of each of their lives, and deaths, and anything she asked about them of which he was privy. He hadn't imparted where his brother was buried; simply because she hadn't asked.

She handled the news well. There was nothing to report that was overly upsetting. And he was relieved when she hadn't reacted with tears to the news.

Tears made him uncomfortable. At least, hers would have.

But when all was revealed, he found he may have preferred if she had displayed a bit of emotion.

* * *

To her surprise, he didn't insist they leave as soon as the meal was finished.

In fact, several engrossing topics had been thoroughly examined long after dessert was through.

When all was said and done, hours had actually passed before the rather hefty bill finally made it to their table. Though it hadn't really felt like that long at all.

"I wanna take a shower first. I hate smelling like a strip club."

As per their agreement, dinner was followed by the short trip to his penthouse suite.

She marveled at the luxury and size of his modern home privately. But she would not allow his ego to be stroked and express how impressed she actually was at his domicile.

She had entertained some rich clients in the past, but none of them had over 500 years to accumulate vast amounts of wealth. So, she decided, that she should not be overly impressed with him.

He led her into his bedroom, and his adjoining master bath. She took note of the king-sized bed along the far wall, and wondered if it would be appropriate to stay with him overnight.

Her own bed was perfectly comfortable, but something about his room made her want to linger and enjoy the comforts he could offer her.

The shower took up the entire wall. Several faucets above separated at equal distances gave the illusion of a bathhouse. She recalled a documentary she had watched about a dictator with similar tastes, and wondered if either had gotten the idea from the other.

He left her alone to wash up, and she removed her clothing while admiring her surroundings.

'_Damn_, Sesshoumaru,' she thought, looking around the huge bathroom. She found that he had acceptable toiletries already within the large shower area.

'Should've got into finance. History major, fucking idiot.'

She enjoyed the feel of hot water on her skin. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to revel, and felt her muscles relax under the wonderful temperature.

Just as she was beginning to consider that she was taking too long, she made to reach for the bottle of soap.

But just as she did, she heard the door to his bedroom open. As there was no blockade between the shower and the rest of the bathroom, only the steam from the water obscured her view as he entered.

"What are you doing?"

He was before her in an instant, apparently already undressed before he came in.

He held a loofah in his hand as he pulled her flush against him.

His hard form felt wonderful against the softness of her own. And she was not offended at all by the familiar feeling of his impressive erection pressed firmly against her stomach.

He _was_ just as tall as she'd remembered. It must have been heels.

She smiled when he put his face inches away from hers. But he stopped his progress to grab the body wash from her grasp, and apply a generous amount to the loofah he had brought.

"This One wanted to wash as well. And ensure you didn't miss any spots."

He rubbed the rough material gently over her breasts. She allowed it, smiling still as he deigned to respond in kind. His grin allowed her access to the sexy fangs within, and she noted the gold that had returned to his eyes, signaling that he had relaxed his magic somewhat in the privacy of his home.

It was a welcomed change. He made for an attractive man, but the demon in him is what got Kagome's libido working overdrive.

'Bad boys with money indeed...'

Once her tits were sufficiently washed- he took extra time ensuring that they were- he made circular passes around the expanse of her navel next, and his hand was grabbing her ass as he continued to soap her up.

His ministrations caused her to ache with need, and she was still very aware of his hard on as she waited for more specialized attention.

She found herself yearning for his touch in more stimulating areas. And she hated the way he teased her; beating around the bush, so to speak.

When he finally reached her hairless pussy, he dropped the scrubbie to the floor.

His hand was still covered in frothy soap, as she now was from hip to neck.

And he used his foamy digits to massage the wash into her lips for her.

She laughed in joyous pleasure, surprised and almost overwhelmed at the enjoyment he gave her, as he rubbed tantalizing circles into her swollen clit. She grabbed onto his shoulders for better stability, both on account of the running water, and his effect on her wobbling knees.

He held his face close to her as he ventured between her folds, applying a firm pressure as he stroked her back and forth. She ground into his touch, eliciting appreciative moans from the woman as she reacted to his attentions. After a moment, he moved his expert fingers downward to explore her puffy opening.

She had already become quite acquainted with what he had to offer, but he was still left wondering what treasures she had laying within.

Sure, he had seen everything. But he wanted to feel it. With his fingers. With his tongue. And most certainly with his wanting cock.

He pressed her up against the wall in a motion so fast she had no time to react- not that she would have stopped him. Water rained down upon them as he slipped a long finger into her throbbing core. After only a few exploratory pumps, he added another into her folds, and he trapped her body with his into the cold tile behind her.

She moaned as he devoured her throat. Tongue and fangs aided him in his explorations, and she made a point to bare her neck to him, though it had been more instinctual than intentional.

Feeling his fingers inside her, and his hard cock pressing perfectly into her clit, she welcomed the attentions of his mouth with zeal, and was even more pleased when he withdrew. Because she knew he could offer her more...

He still kept his face close. Rubbing his nose along her throat and up the side of her cheek.

He tickled it against her ear, taking a moment to enjoy her natural scent; and paused again when his forehead rested against hers.

He looked down at her, awaiting permission.

Sex was one thing. But kissing seemed more personal.

She gave sex relatively freely. Well, it wasn't free. But it didn't seem to be of much consequence to her, as it was to most women.

But he realized that despite taking his cock deep within her throat, the two had yet to kiss. He considered such an act might be more intimate for her. It might actually mean something.

He _wanted_ to kiss her. He wanted her to kiss him. What's more, he wanted her to _want_ to kiss him.

Usually, for him, kissing was a prelude to sex. But now that sex was all but assured- predetermined and paid for- he found himself desiring more.

He descended slowly, as if giving her the chance to deny him if she so wished. They hadn't really discussed the specifics.

But his chest filled with male pride when he glimpsed her sparkling eyes, resting pleasingly atop smiling lips which beckoned him to come nearer- and soon.

Their first kiss was wonderful. Hot, wet, and more anticipated than either of them had realized.

She had already sucked him off. Made him cum inside her, even if only in her mouth.

But somehow, this felt more intimate. It was never hashed out beforehand. And though sex could encompass many things, the way that he took her lips let her believe that just for a minute, this was not simply a transaction.

It was. She knew it was. And she didn't desire for it to be anything different.

But for someone so un-enamored with the pleasures of the flesh, the thrill his simple touch sent through her allowed her to forget for just a moment.

Forget who she was, and what she was doing.

But not who she was with.

Sesshoumaru encompassed her surroundings completely, and nothing about that was unappealing.

The kiss started out deep, but he managed to deepen it somehow with his soft, tempting, talented mouth.

His hand raked through her hair as he dominated her lips, and though she valued control, it was so nice to hand it over for once.

To one who could handle it properly. To one who could use it impressively.

His other hand was at her hip as he ground her harder into the wall.

She placed one hand on top of his there, lacing her fingers with his as his claws pressed dangerously into her ass.

Her other hand pressed at his chest; running up his shoulder and all the way up his neck to his face, but not at all to push him. She didn't want him to go anywhere.

She ran it back down to his pecks, and even further down his rippling torso.

All the while, the kiss continued.

His tongue and hers battled, taking nothing, giving everything. And such generosity was rewarded with the pleasure each felt in their loins as they pressed all they had into the one at their front.

He ravished her mouth, as much as she did to him. But when his chest pressed harshly into her own, his hand traveled down her thigh, and hooked his hand around her limb so as to encourage her to lift it.

She of course complied, eager to find out what he had in store.

The way he dominated her body was alluring. Addicting. And far too easy to obey.

She couldn't recall ever allowing a man to take such charge of an encounter. Sure, she would give them the illusion that they were dominant. But it was just that- an illusion. In every circumstance, Kagome was the one calling the shots. When the submissive one sets the pace, the 'dominant' one is at her service.

And though he would adhere to her every whim, Sesshoumaru was controlling this encounter. She found that she liked it.

With her leg lifted off the ground, and thigh pried away from her center, he shifted to align himself perfectly with her opening.

He had to remove his hand from her wet locks to position himself for entry, but she didn't mind at all.

In fact, if he didn't enter her soon, she thought she might go mad with frustration.

He broke the kiss finally to look into her eyes.

It wasn't a matter of_ if_, for that had been determined before even leaving the club.

It was a matter of _when_. He wanted to be sure she was ready to accept his powerful girth. And by the way she looked up at him with need, before moving herself forward to nibble encouragingly on his neck, she was more than ready.

The addition of outside water usually made it more difficult to enter a woman for some reason.

Something about outside wetness seemed to make a female unable to produce the necessary amount of moisture to accept a man by natural causes.

But she was sopping from within. He could feel the difference on the head of his cock as he traveled from the hot, flowing water of his expensive shower system, to the gushing moisture he produced by stimulating this woman far greater than she had ever experienced.

Only a few shallow pumps were necessary to prepare her for his size. Quivering with want, she cried in relief as he finally filled her to the hilt, and proceeded with pumping into her wildly, pressing her harshly against the wall.

She ran her hands down the firm, powerful muscles of his back. His tight ass clenched, and released, as it pounded into her center over and over, causing the one leg she was standing on to wrap around him reflexively.

He used his other hand to grab it, to hold it up for her with the other as she wrapped her arms around his neck while he fucked her into oblivion.

The falling water did little to contain the sounds the two made in their pleasure. Baritone moans escaped his lips while wanton wails were torn mercilessly from her throat; and the sloshing sounds their bodies made as they warred with the water's assault joined their sounds of pure elation that they took from one another.

He was snarling into her ear, and her nuzzling forced his face back to hers.

First, he pressed his forehead again harshly into her own. But when her dazzling blue eyes took in his red bled gold, she seemed to demand him silently to return his lips to hers. For once, he took no issue with obeying.

As she approached her rapture's crest, she nearly faltered.

She had never reached such a state while a man was inside her.

This was a feeling she had only before obtained when alone, and in the privacy of her own mind.

And though images of the demon lord may have been present when she came from imagining him touching her like this, even imagining him with her while she was with another man had never allowed her to peak while being plundered so wonderfully.

She thrusted into him as he pounded her, desperate to reach orgasm for the first time at the will of another.

And though it was a somewhat frightening realization, she was eager to cum as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

She grabbed onto his hair, suddenly long again, and silver, just as she had always remembered, and fantasized about.

His markings had returned full force; jagged magenta stripes streaked across high cheek bones, and the navy crescent on his brow brought her back to a time when she still had faith in the world. She'd forgotten what that felt like, and she found herself quite grateful for the reminder.

Her tight grip at his scalp caused his ferocity to increase, and once he was aware she was going to explode around him, he let himself go as well.

Her loud, grateful moan seemed never to stop coming.

And the sound of her pleasure mixed with the tightening of her walls around him made him unable to contain his release another moment.

His growl was deafening. If she weren't cumming so hard, it would have frightened her. But all she could feel was release. Relief. And mind-numbing pleasure which racked though her system in several long waves, until she finally and slowly came back to reality.

He continued pumping into her long after his seed was spent.

He rode out his high as she only clutched him tighter, longing to deny reality until the wonderful fuzzy feeling fully subsided.

And when they were both finally done, he held her tightly against the wall still. Breathing roughly into her ear, he lowered her slowly, carefully, almost reluctantly, back down to her feet.

Withdrawing, and panting harshly, he turned off the water as she shakily regained her stability.

When he stepped away from the shower, he grabbed a lush towel from the rack, and handed it to her, before taking one for himself and drying off.

They dressed in silence, in the robes he had procured, coming to terms with the mind shattering experience they had both been a part of. Both very aware that the other had taken part too.

"Did you find it pleasurable?"

He finally asked, pulling her to him very gently.

He almost seemed insecure, that she would recoil now that they were done, and their agreement was through.

But she allowed it. And smiled up at him, not ungrateful for what he had given her.

"You still have to pay me."

He took her banter as it was intended. Just that. He allowed a smile as well as he realized she would not flee.

"Did I not pay you with that 120 dollar filet, accompanied with the 250 dollar bottle of wine?"

She couldn't formulate an answer.

That was the agreement. Their transaction was now complete. So why did she feel unsatisfied with the knowledge?

She didn't fuck for pleasure. Not for her own.

But she refused to deny the breakthrough she had just had.

From the way he was acting, it seemed like he'd had an epiphany or two of his own.

"I can afford these things easily," he informed her. "I could afford them regularly for you." She had no doubt that he could. And she found herself excited that he seemed at the moment that he would.

Anticipation coursed through her as she awaited his proposition.

"Would you consider engaging in a 'girlfriend experience' with This One?"

She smiled.

"You're serious."

He smiled back.

Oh, those delicious fangs...

"Always. Well?"

Yes. There was no way it wouldn't be yes. To whatever he wanted.

But he had to be up front with what he wanted. And she knew he would be. She could always trust him in that. She would be too, and she reveled in the knowledge that she would never have to dance around the issues with this devastatingly blunt demon lord.

Her excitement was palpable.

"Okay, let's get down to it. What are your conditions?" She seemed almost giddy. Did he do that?

"No drugs," he demanded instantly. "I will not see my fortune squandered on addiction."

Not to mention, he did not wish to see her harm herself in such a way.

"I can do that. I'm not really that into them."

He was pleased by her easy acceptance, and sought to press his victory with his next request.

"No dancing. In fact, no work at all which involves preforming favors for men who are not me. You will tender your resignation tomorrow."

No, no other would have her. There were many things he wished to do with the onna in the near future, and he would not have her sullied by the men she pleased for money.

When he saw she would agree, he pulled her closer to him. Strong arms wrapped around her small waist. And she lifted hers to rest comfortably atop his broad, muscular shoulders, as she played with the hair at his nape. Kami, that hair...

"It's a strip club, Sessh, you don't have to tender anything. You just stop showing up."

Their noses were touching, and he looked into her eyes confidently, yet pleadingly as well. The next one was important.

"And lastly, you will sever all ties to your ongoing mutually beneficial relationships. I demand your complete loyalty while in this arrangement."

It could not be avoided. His beast's demand of her fidelity was tangible, and roared in his blood.

He wanted this female. And the idea of her with another was now completely unacceptable.

But he knew she was stubborn, and independent.

If this was going to work, he could not have her sleeping with other men. It would simply drive him insane, and others would surely perish by his jealous claws.

She regarded him sternly.

"What about you? Are you going to be fucking anyone else?" He seemed startled by the insinuation, as if it had never occurred to him. She corrected herself quickly. "Not that I care, I just want to know where we stand up front."

She didn't like the idea of him with another woman. But if he was going to be paying her, the rules were really up to him. Besides, she was uncomfortable with acknowledging that she had any preference in regards to his loyalty.

He was bothered that she didn't care if he fucked other people, but he brushed passed it; releasing her.

"I am a busy man, and I do not make a point of meeting up with women." He allowed her to towel her hair while he reached for a brush. She accepted it gratefully when he handed it to her. "If you are doing your duty to see my needs met, I do not foresee requiring any further attentions. My appetites are reasonable."

He had no desire for another. But he would not rush into a mating. Not to mention, the miko did not seem receptive to the idea of being exclusive with any man.

He wasn't even sure he could give her what she desired, beyond financial security and sexual gratification. Though, he conceded, those were not terrible places to start.

"I am not an affectionate man," he informed her honestly. It would not do well to mislead the perceptive woman. He certainly hadn't desired to. "I have changed little from when you saw me last."

She nearly scoffed.

"Oh, you've changed," she insisted confidently. "The Lord of the West would have never fucked a human woman back then."

She wasn't incorrect. He also wouldn't have thought twice about killing her back then. But he would never harm her now. Physically harming any female now seemed unacceptable, he realized.

He regarded her sternly, to relay his seriousness.

"I will never strike you," he informed her, stepping closer to command her full attention. "I will allow you to dictate what you feel comfortable preforming with me, and when. Though I may offer suggestions, you are by no means obligated to see any of them through which you do not find acceptable."

Finished with the brush, she handed it back to him. He took it and placed it down without ever breaking eye contact. His gaze was intense. "I also would like you available to me in the mornings before work, and when I get home, if I wish to converse. We will take trips on the weekends, and you will accompany me to various events and obligations."

Sex was easy for him to come by. Had that been all he wanted, it would have been simple enough to procure. Even from her, he realized. He could have become one of the many she frequented for a living.

But he wanted more.

Being physical with the miko was an unexpected and very gratifying experience. In fact, he couldn't recall ever being as stimulated by a woman as he had been in her company.

But he found pleasure in their conversations as well. There was no need for deception around this woman- emotional or physical. And he knew he could expect her to be candid with him in return.

She knew him. Knew who he was. Knew what he was. And knew what he was capable of. And not.

Any woman he kept around for more than just sex was not long in desiring more emotional considerations from him. But any he would offer would not be genuine. Could not.

But this miko, broken by time and her experiences within it, seemed to prefer to keep her emotions under lock and key as well. In fact, it seemed she would demand it.

With her, he could be himself. Would not be expected to give any more than he had. And he would be allowed to not only partake of the comforts of her tempting body, but of the companionship he had been denied, and actually seemed to crave.

"In return, I shall see all of your needs met. Both financial, and otherwise. If you have any debts, consider them paid. When you need anything, such as a car, or clothing, you need only request it. I am not proficient in romance, so you must tell me what you require. I do not read minds."

If she needed a salary, he would give it. Though if she were living with him, he could not foresee her needing to buy anything for herself. From now on, he would take care of everything.

"And if you require any sexual attention from me at any time, let it be known." Accenting his point, he pulled her gently to him; her body flush with his own. She allowed it, smiling up at him while she ran her palms over the expanse of his solid, immovable chest.

"I seemed to unlock the key to your non-masturbatory orgasm, and I should like to perfect my skill as often as possible. As This One sees it, we have a lot of time to make up for, agreed?"

Oh, she agreed. And she let it be known by pressing her hips into him, and biting her lip seductively. He wanted to be the one nibbling on that plump lip. And he would, very soon. All the more incentive to get these ground rules out of the way quickly.

"I am a cold man," he admitted.

"But I am not a monster. Not any longer," he amended. "If there is anything you need to be made happy, or whole, I will see to accomplishing it. I would like you to communicate your needs to me. That is all I ask. Is this acceptable?"

She knew he was cold. But she was glad that he was.

She was uncomfortable letting herself get close to a man. But until now, she had never been able to experience pleasure at the hands of another.

She wanted to keep that going. Maybe with him, together they could find the way to accessing her desire so that she may finally be sated properly.

It was her terribly good fortune that this particular 'man' was as closed off as she. He would not demand any more than she would be willing to offer. Any more than she could. She would not fall in love with him, and he would not love her. But he would help her work out the kinks in her defective system until she was something resembling functional yet again.

Maybe the fates were finally working in her favor. Even if they only intended to work for him, she would gladly accept the residuals.

She nodded.

"Good. We shall move you in tomorrow." With a devious smile, he pulled her tighter against him. He put his face so close to hers that they touched. "In the meantime, I demand more payment for your _very_ expensive dinner..."

She was smiling against his lips when they took hers softly.

The press of his mouth was firm and long, before finally using his tongue to trace along her seam. When she parted it, he entered, tasting her sweetly and savoring.

At the time, she thought she was running up the dinner bill just to stick it to him a little. One of many forms of subtle retaliation she had perfected over the years, to get a little payback at the men who thought to use her for their pleasure- without seeing to her own.

But now, she considered, it was possible that she was ensuring she had a considerable debt to satisfy.

She let him kiss her to his heart's content. It was her job now, she supposed, to let him take whatever pleasures of her body he desired.

He said she didn't have to do anything she didn't want to. And she wouldn't.

But just because sating him was now her duty, it didn't mean she couldn't enjoy it as well.

She always wanted to be someone who took pleasure in their work. I looked like she would now, literally.

When she tried to pull away, he followed her forward, not letting her escape.

She smiled, amused, at having to push against his shoulders to get him to retreat.

They could get back to that in a minute. And would, it seemed. But first, she had one last demand of him before this whole thing started.

"One more thing," she had his attention. His eyes shone with desire to appease. "I want to know why."

He pursed his lips, and she grew more serious.

"Why do you want this?"

He could have any woman he wanted. That was more than obvious to her.

Why would a guy like him feel the need to pay for that which almost any woman would be most eager to take on for free?

In fact, she was certain there were many who would pay for the opportunity.

He leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest.

He was trying to find the words, so as to articulate himself to her accurately.

"I assume, the same reason most males engage in a human relationship," he began. She stood before him patiently as he explained. "Among demons, bonds are forged not out of love, like humans, but out of necessity. It is transactional." Transactional. She could definitely understand that.

"A male may desire an heir, or a caregiver, or a status symbol. A female may desire protection or comfort. One or both may desire sex. You find a partner with like-minded goals, or who may have what you want, and need what you have, and you mate. It is- _was_\- a tried and true system which proved successful."

Realization was beginning to dawn on her as she listened to him explain.

"But now, humans- women particularly- wish for other things. Things I cannot offer. Things they are disappointed to learn they can never have with me." He straightened, and advanced to her. She allowed him to grab hold of her cheek in his palm- oh, with those dangerous claws- and demand her full focus. Not that he didn't already have it.

"I am still a male, Kagome. There are still things I require to be made whole." The reminder that he was a red-blooded male with desires set her own aflame once again. How she wanted to be the one to see to those desires...

"But after all these years, I tire of the sorrow in a woman's features when she finally realizes that I can never love her. I will never be that man."

He released her, but did not retreat. Neither did she.

"But you. You are the only one who knows what I am. The only one who understands. And the strain of 500 years has rendered you as useless to others as it has to me." Oh, she had her uses. But those were the only ones she was comfortable with giving. But being a source of sexual gratification had never seen to satiating her own physical desires. Until now. Until _him._

"I can never love you, but you do not want me to. You want what I can offer you, and no more. I want no more than what you are willing to give me."

So, he did understand.

She knew he was cold. Perhaps he was even considered such among his own kind.

But she hadn't considered the dynamics of demon relationships.

If matings were born of necessity- transactional- she could see how it would be difficult for him to navigate the seas of human relations.

He needed support. Companionship. Sex.

But it simply wasn't in his nature to express deeper emotions.

She could see how feigning such things for the benefit of another could be unfulfilling, and hollow. She actually knew it quite well.

She also knew how rotten it felt to see the effects it had on your partner when they realized you could never feel for them what they felt for you.

He could never mate a demon. Never have that basic level of understanding with another.

But she was as close as he was going to get. And he would never expect such things from her, while still giving her all the support she could ever require.

But just because it wasn't love, it didn't mean it couldn't be wonderful. He seemed to know that too.

"It doesn't mean we cannot be happy. It simply means we will stop making others miserable. Would that be suitable to you?"

She answered by grabbing the back of his head, and pulling the short distance to crash his lips into hers.

Kissing her with all that he had, all that he was able to give, she accepted it gladly.

He wrapped his large hands around the curve of her hips, and she lifted her other hand to his face; rubbing it firmly up to his pointed ear, and down the expanse of his elegant throat.

When she released his lips from hers, she was still holding him. Clutching him close as he was to her, and enjoying the feel of his ragged breathing passed his open lips.

A sharp fang poked out over his lip, and she fought the urge to taste it with her tongue.

He was beautiful. The vision of him caused her to smile again.

"Maybe it's all in the eye of the beholder," she offered. He could only listen, captivated. "That all sounded pretty damn romantic to me."

At his confused look, she released him. But he was still holding her near.

"Being happy and whole, and giving each other what we need. How is that different than love?" Finally, reluctantly, he let her go.

"Just because you don't express affections? I feel like you communicated your feelings to me perfectly." He straightened, accepting her assessment. Could it be that she understood? As he thought only another demon ever could? She became serious again as she ran fingers through his marvelous hair.

"And I just want a man who won't dick me around. You have been nothing but upfront. So long as the sex is hot and the bills are paid, I can consider that love."

The sex was hot, that was for damn sure. Just the reminder had him wanting to test his theory again. He wanted nothing more than to drag her to his bed and see exactly how many times he could make her cum tonight. And he would..

By the look in his eye, she seemed aware she was running short on time. So she finished her point before he had her unable to think clearly. He was already well on his way, by the method which he used his clawed hands to roam over her silk-clad form; as she was doing to him...

His face was very close.

"But call it what you want. It's just a word. What you do is what is important. Feelings are just how you interpret actions."

The rest of the night, there would be many glorious actions to interpret. And though neither would call it love, they couldn't deny the contentment in their heart brought on by the other simply being near.

* * *

A/N:

So, I set this in America simply so I could go by US currency bc that is easier for me.

I used Portland as the city bc I know for a fact that they allow fully nude stripping there, and also serve alcohol within their establishments.

On another note, I do not know what history majors actually make, so don't yell at me. I just used it cuz she is a time traveler, and I needed her to be broke enough to strip. so I may not be accurate.

And lastly, I took some artistic license with the GFE explanation, bc I just liked it better for the story that way.

Its fun to write fiction! I can do whatever i want, lol XDD

Lastly lastly, I might do a sequel. I kind of want to explore their GFE, but I had to render this complete bc I just have too many wips right now to start another one. but if I get inspired, I will add a follow up to this.

Hope you liked it!


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